CREIG SAYS...

Dear Friend:

This has been our best 1st half of the year in number of homes sold, ever! As inventory of homes grew, the prices did stabilize slightly. Most buyers are looking for good value & upgraded features. The next 30 days are crucial to the market, as most relocaters and buyers are interested in finding and settling into their new homes in time for the start of the school year which has created a sense of urgency. Pricing correctly is the key for sellers, and sellers who carefully prepare their home for sale get the most money.

Best regards,

Creig Northrop

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THE POWER OF STAGING

The Northrop Team prides itself on the quality and quantity of their print advertisements published weekly and monthly to showcase homes for sale. But while advertising attracts buyers, Staging attracts offers.

What is Home Staging®? Home Stating is the preparation of a home to sell by a professional who specializes in this form of decorating. The home seller usually cannot view their own home objectively, and many successful Realtors do not have the time or resources needed to adequately stage a home for sale. A professional, accredited home stager has the time and training to objectively view a home as a product and highlight its assets while downplaying its flaws.

When selling your home with the Northrop Team, you have several Accredited Staging Professionals (or ASPs®) on staff and at your service. Each property listed with The Northrop Team, regardless of type or price, gets staged® as part of Northrop Team Certification. Professional stagers® charge from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the size and condition of the home. The Northrop Team provides staging® services at no extra cost.

For many home sellers and real estate agents this concept of "professional home staging" is being increasingly recognized and used to effectively package and market a home in the marketplace.

Staging has also become a popular topic in the news recently, featured on media outlets such as:

• ABC's Good Morning America, "Housing: Stage Your Home for a Bigger Sale"
• Realtor Magazine online, "See How they Staged it!"
• CNNMoney.com, "Your Home: Maximize your sale price."
• 2006 Realtors Conference Blog, "All the World is a Stage…Or Should be!"
• New York Post: Get Stage Coached
• LendingTree.com, Using Home Stagers To Help You Sell Your Home
• CNN.com, Spring Into Home-Selling Action

Some Realtors and home sellers will say that they have already "staged" their homes but there is a vast difference between a home that was simply de-cluttered and cleaned and one that was professionally staged. Creating the "model home" look is not easily achieved without the help of someone who does this everyday for a living.

As the market shifts and homes begin to "sit on the market", as a seller, you need a competitive advantage to attract buyers and ultimately get an offer. Staging homes has become a vital step for a successful sale.

Staging has been popular on the West Coast for over twenty years. The International Association of Home Staging Professionals cites a study saying the average un-staged home spends more than five months on the market, while houses that are staged after being on the market sell in an average of 14 days. While staging has it's roots in the early 70's, it was not until the 1990s that it became a separate endeavor adopted by professional designers and decorators. More recently, the trend of do-it-yourself home staging has become widely popular, as many books have been published on the subject and decorate-it-yourself shows have become increasingly popular.

But these days, sellers need their homes to show at maximum value for quick sale. And they can't always do it themselves. Two to three hours of home staging can give you the edge you need in a buyer's market, it's that simple. It's easily affordable. Why not let the tips and tricks you see on TV staging shows work for you right here right now?

Like the front page of a newspaper, if the headline isn't riveting, no one reads the story. A buyer makes their first impression of your home in under 8 seconds. Let the first impression be a positive one that will turn your entire house into "a grabber."

TOP 10 REASONS TO PROFESSIONALLY STAGE YOUR HOME

More Money
When your home sells faster than its competition, it usually sells for close to its asking price. This means more money in your pocket.

More Competitive
Again, if other houses in your neighborhood are on the market (with the same square footage and price) the better your home shows, the more likely it will sell first.

Less Stress
It's stressful to sell, move and buy. You have plenty to do with the repairs, painting and packing, not to mention if you work, plan to do any cooking and chase after kids. The often times speedy process of getting your house listed and up on the MLS may mean the most buzz and visitor traffic occurs when you're in the middle of repairs! Staging can help, because you will be ready for visitors in about two hours. Even if the plan is to paint a ceiling at some point, the room will be show-ready until then.

Less Overwhelming
You may be overwhelmed by the list of things to do, but the stager can prioritize for you: maybe you don't need to paint that upstairs bedroom, if its function has changed through staging. Prioritizing will make the best use of your time and turn your lengthy 'to do' list into what really matters during that 15-second first impression. Why get tense blanketing the water heater, when the stager will want you to focus on the foyer or fireplace! Your list may be endless, while the stager's list will be manageable.

Less Uncertainty
The less time it's on the market, the less time your house will be a source of uncertainty. All those unanswerables, like "Why don't they do something," or "how long can I manage two mortgage payments," or "Maybe I should sell it myself," etc. really sap you and the realtor of the strength and patience you need at this time. Staging is a service you receive with the Northrop team to cut down on uncertainty.

Less Work
It's hard to keep a house clean for showings, especially with kids. Staging sets your house up for easy maintenance and quick sale; obviously less work for you.

Less Inconvenience
Quck sale means you'll be able to put your life back on the front burner. Living 'in a fishbowl' gets old fast, so make it a clean, bright, open and functional fishbowl -- it will sell faster.

It's Fun!
Fun is practically guaranteed in the staging process. You probably just need support in what you've wanted to do forever!

It is always to your benefit to sell your home for the most money possible. It is also always beneficial to sell quickly. So why aren't all real estate agents having their listings professionally staged when they know it will sell 50% faster and for 6-10% more?

• I don't want to offend home sellers whose listing I value.
• Staging a home involves too much work and money.
• I'm not into decorating
• I don't know where to begin with all my client's homes
• I told home sellers what to do...they just didn't do it or didn't do it well
• I did stage the home but it's still not selling...